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 Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:53 am
Help please. I'm looking to become a drum major for either my Junior Year, Senior Year, or both maybe. I'm currently a sophomore. I can march fairly well, and am a good conductor I believe. Some practice wouldn't hurt, but I'm not too bad. But basically, I just want some advice from former and current drum majors.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:12 am
Get critiqued.
Talk to whoever is Drum Major at your school, and ask them if they can critique you on your conducting. If that's not allowed or something, ask your director or someone who would know what they're doing. Watch yourself conduct in a mirror. See if you could follow yourself. Also, check to see if the current drum majors or your band director is going to have little informational sessions/practices for people interested in becoming drum major. If not, see if a few could be set up. But don't be super pushy. My school does that, and they were really helpful.
Be REALLY loud at the audition/try out.
Like, SUPER SUPER loud. Especially if you're actually auditioning on the football field. You can never be too loud when being a Drum Major.
Be a leader.
Don't just be a leader if you get to be Drum Major; lead your section, set a good example.
Be confident.
Be confident especially during the audition, but be confident still when you're just in band. Play confidently but NOT ARROGANTLY. There's a very fine line between confidence and arrogance.... DO NOT CROSS THAT LINE!
Be nice to just about everyone.
As Drum Major, you'd have to deal with EVERYONE in marching band. Not just your friends. Yes, this includes Freshmen. ^_^
Know why you want to be Drum Major.
Is it a status thing? Do you love conducting? Are you a control freak like me? Do you want your band to be the best it could be? Or do you just not want to march? Hopefully, you want to do it because it looks fun, you want your band to be AWESOME, you really care about marching band an band in general, or some other positive reason.
And just be yourself.
Have fun with it. Don't get too serious or nervous. Yes, you need to be serious, but not to the point of insanity. Drum Majoring is a really really fun as well as awarding experience, and if you're going for it for the right reasons and have some skill, you should do excellently.
Good luck, and I hope that this helped. ^_^
~ A current Senior Drum Major, Amanda
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:51 pm
I tried out this past season, as a junior, almost made it, but they needed at least one tenor sax player...and that happened to be me.
Don't take what the instructors tell you like they hate you; my unit got new instructors and one of them gave our drum major the hardest time.
Don't be afraid to jump at the opportunity to lead if no one else is during tryouts. [Not sure how your tryouts are, but here it's during clinics and we teach the freshmen how to march and run basics until they pick a drum major; They like to see readiness to help.]
And bring motrin; You might need it after awhile. xD
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:31 pm
Thanks especially from Faeliae, you gave me a lot of good info that I think will help. I planned on talking to our drum majors now about it too, so now I'm certain I'll look into doing that. Being loud has never been a problem for me. And, when I really try, I'm usually one of the more precise people as far as marching goes. So I'm sure I could do well at teaching someone to march. As far as conducting goes, I know that I'm not perfect yet. And I do need some practice. I got lucky a while back, and got the feeling of conducting in front of my class. It was kinda a spur of the moment thing. In our class, someone told our conductor that they could do his job better than him. So he told her to go up and conduct one of the songs from our Christmas Concert program. She refused, but he allowed two people to conduct one of the three songs. The first was a fairly easy jazz tune, but I didn't get to conduct it. The second wasn't exactly easy as far as conducting goes. I didn't do great on the tempo changes, or the 3/4 and 2/4 measures thrown into a mostly 4/4 piece. But considering I was 'sight-conducting', or whatever term you would like to use. I did fair. I liked the feeling though. Being the one up there conducting. I was kinda nervous, but I got over it quick. Even if I didn't do the best job. I had kinda decided on at least trying to be a drum major before that, but that basically cemented the idea. I'm thankful for the advice though, and I'll work on conducting on front of a mirror. I'm grateful from the advice from both of you too. And as for Kana Kun1's comment about being the only tenor, I'm actually also a tenor sax. But luckily not the only one. We'll have a total of five next year, though only two are pure tenors. One guy who'll be a senior next year, and myself. And, I'm thinking this is a good idea. But I'm planning on trying out this year as well as next year. Even if there's a slim chance I'll make it this year. Because I know that the experience at trying out can't hurt.
Thanks again, and. Anyone else have some advice? I sure am appreciating it.
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:05 pm
Bump...*Hopes for some more comments*
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:54 am
Patches Chance Bump...*Hopes for some more comments*
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:30 am
Trying out this year will DEFINATELY help you next year.
I'm a current senior drum major (I've been one for the past two years now). It sounds like you're trying out for good reasons - you actually sound a lot like me, in the whole conducting the concert band.
One of the biggest differences from baton conducting to drum major conducting is size. You want to have a really big pattern (conducting pattern), so make sure you have your arms extended. Make sure it's still fairly comfortable. Lol, you will need motrin, especially at first. Conducting should probably hurt your sides (from holding up your arms) and at first it hurt my fingers (from keeping your palms facing the band except at the point where you "hit"). I agree with most of what Faeliae said - a mirror will help loads. (By the way, Faeliae, did you go to DMA?) So long as you've watched your drum majors or even your conductor, you can improve your own conducting a lot by critiquing yourself in a mirror, because you should recognize what looks right.
Another tip for tryouts (I think this is what got me in) is eye-contact. DON'T look at the conductor or drum majors even, but look at the band members whether they look at you or not. Try to smile at them if anyone looks up and just smile anyway. Like I said, I think this is what got me the position - it makes you look confident, proud, and like you're enjoying yourself while conducting and enjoying the players themselves. Basically, it makes people like you. biggrin For me, this helped a lot - the other drum major never smiled. She tended to glare, really - it scares the players if you glare.
Other than that...well, I'm not sure what your tryout is like, but use commands even if you don't have to. All I had to do was conduct a song, but I made sure to give the "Band horns up" command first, although no one else did. It made people realize I could shout and I knew commands. Good luck on your auditions!
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:53 am
Yeah. Actually I didn't do baton conducting when I was conducting in our class. I just used my hands, it felt more comfortable. The baton made it feel awkward. Being loud is something I'm good at, so that shouldn't be a problem. Smiling is something I sometimes have to remind myself to do, lol. I don't really have a glare, I just have a very neutral look on my face most of the time. And I'll probably have to call to attention. As well as horns up, and other things.
And yeah, the mirror thing is something that will most likely help me. Eye contact is something I hadn't thought about, so thanks for that tip. Overall, thanks for the advice. Anyone else? Every little bit helps.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:44 pm
I want to try out for my Military band's Drum Major this year. What type is your band? I'm a freshmen, but I've got nothing to lose, I mean it'll be good experience for me if I want to make it. The only think I can think of is what Faeliae said. I mean, you really don't have anything to lose when you try out, if you try out, and don't make it, at least you've got the experience and know what to practice for the audition. Go to Drum Major camp if you school has one. You've got nothing to lose.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:56 pm
Ok. My band isn't military, it's Field Marching. But yeah, I don't see any negatives in trying out this year. That's why I'm going to. Anyone else? Every little bit helps.
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:56 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:02 am
No, I went to Smith-Walbridge. ^_^
And yeah, smiling at the people looking at you helps. I actually tend to laugh during practices 'cause my friends would give me funny faces... haha.
~ Me
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:43 am
Hey I went to Smith-Walbridge too... great camp. It builds your confidence.
From my experience and my continuing experience... You need to be confident in everything you do. You need to show others that you can be a leader. Band directors consider your actions when you try-out for drum major.
Practice Practice Practice. you dont' want to tryout looking like you don't know what you are doing. When ever you are getting dressed and listening to music direct a few measures here and there.. you dont' have to direct a whole song. practice infront of a mirror everytime. Practice your commands like whistle or signs.
when i tried out for drummajor my first time i didn't make it. I didn't know what i was doing.. and help would have been nice. always ask for help. also if was determined after that to do my best for my tryouts. I went for a walk everyday and directed for about 30 mins. everyday for practice before tryouts.. and it worked. you have to show dedication and inorder to get what you want you have to want it more than anyone else or you won't get it. if you don't get it then well you didn't want it more than the person who beat you. its a constant battle! keep fighting!~
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:30 am
Im a Freshman who would like to be drum major when I am a senior but I have no clue what to do I read the comments and im still a bit lost What do they do at tryouts?
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